Nail holder-dual hammer



United States Patent [72] Inventor Roy Johnson Rte 1, Rock, Michigan 49880 [21] Appl. No. 670,324

[22] Filed Sept. 25, 1967 [45] Patented Dec.1,1970

[54] NAIL HOLDER-DUAL HAMMER 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 145/30 825d 1/04 Field ofSeareh 145/30, 29,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 418,539 12/1889 Stark 145/30 1,443,864 1/1923 Blustein et a1. 1. 145/30 2,597,876 5/1952 Kurkjian 145/3035 2,671,483 3/1954 Clark 7/1 1,422,262 7/1922 Hansen 254/26 Primary ExaminerTheron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker, .lr. AttorneyEvan D. Roberts ABSTRACT: A hammer is disclosed herein having a hammerhead and a handle. The hammerhead is provided with a fulcrum and nail-retaining means in conjunction with claw and shank portions. The fulcrum and nail-retaining means, among other things, is provided with a cavity and a magnet, and a nail guide is provided on the shank.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 INVENTOR.

ROY JOHNSON BY ATTORNEY.

NAIL HOLDER-DUAL HAMMER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved hammer having a head with a handle on the axis through the depth of the head, and wherein the body of the hammerhead is provided with a fulcrum and nail-retaining means as well as a claw and a shank portion. The fulcrum and nail-retaining means extends generally axially away from the handle of the improved hammer to provide a fulcrum for use with the claw as well as a means for retaining the head of a nail with the nail positioned over a nail guide on the shank of the hammerhead. A magnet is provided in the fulcrum and nail-retaining means to retain the head of the nail in a cavity therein.

The novel structure of the improved hammer of this invention provides a hammerhead with a hammer handle wherein the fulcrum and nail-retaining means thereof provides a fulcrum to be utilized in conjunction with the claw portion whereby the claw portion may be more substantially straight rather than the usual sharply curved claws provided on known types of hammers for pulling nails and the like.

Also, the fulcrum and nail-retaining means provides an open cavity for enclosing a nailhead and a magnetic means for retaining the nailhead within the cavity with the body of the nail extended along the hammerhead shank and positioned in the nail guide on the shank.

Thus, a completely enclosing cavity is provided for retaining the nailhead along with the magnet and a fulcrum is provided in conjunction with the claws, whereby the claws can be used to pry, and the claws of the claw portion can be substantially straight or only slightly curved to provide a claw which can be used for impact such as chipping or the like contrary to the usual sharply curved claws of known types of hammers.

Also, the magnet provided in the fulcrum and nail-retaining means is encased in a shock-absorbing, nonmagnetic encasement which facilitates retention of the magnet in a manner whereby the magnet is insulated from physical shock and magnetic short circuit.

Other advantages and novel aspects of the invention will become apparent upon examination of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial front elevation view of the improved hammer of this invention showing the position of the fulcrum and nail-retaining assembly thereof with respect to the shank of the hammerhead;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the improved hammer of this invention showing the general configuration and relationship between the shank and claw portions as well as the fulcrum and nail-retaining means of the hammerhead thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the details of the fulcrum and nail-retaining means extending above the hammerhead.

The drawings disclose the structure of the improved hammer of this invention which is generally designated by the numeral (FIGS. 1 and 2). The improved hammer 10 includes, among other things, a hammerhead 11 and a handle 12 extending along an axis passing longitudinally through the handle and the depth of the hammerhead 11. The hammerhead 11 includes generally, among other things, a hammerhead body lla, a fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13, a claw portion 14, and a shank portion 15.

The fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13 is provided with a fulcrum surface 16 which is curved adjacent the claw portion 14 to provide a rocking fulcrum surface. A magnet 17 is encased in a relatively hard shock-absorbing and magnetically insulating encasement 18 of wood or similar material and the wood in turn is encased in a rubber encasement 19 or other similar plastic shock-absorbing and magnetically insulating material. The wood 18 and rubber 19 are positioned in a chamber 20 within the fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13. A brass or other nonmagnetic washer 21 is retained laterally in the chamber 20 by an internal nut 22 threaded into the chamber whereby the washer 21 and nut 22 will retain the magnet 17, wood 18, and rubber 19in position (FIG. 3) in the chamber 20.

it should be noted that the nonmagnetic washer 21 is provided with an aperture 23 and the nut is provided with an aperture 24 whereby the magnetic lines of the magnet 17 will be directed without being short-circuited with respect to the magnetic material of the nut 22 or the fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13. The nut aperture 24 also provides a 360 socket aperture for 360 lateral retention of the head 25 of a nail 26 and positions the nailhead 25 in contact with the magnet 17 with the shank or body 27 of the nail positioned in a V-shaped nail guide 28.

It should also be noted that the claw structure 14 of the improved hammer l0 of this invention provides a hammer whereby the claws 14 thereof can be made more or less of the straight type for positive impact for chipping and other purposes, while in conjunction with the fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13 the hammer is provided with a rocking fulcrum surface to in turn provide a mechanical advantage similar to that obtained by the more abruptly curved claw hammers presently known. Thus, the structure of the hammer of this invention provides both the advantages of a substantially straight claw hammer where the radius of curvature of the claws is usually greater than one-half the length of the hammer handle, as well as the abruptly curved claw hammer.

It should be further noted that the fulcrum and nail-retaining means 13 in addition to cooperating with the claws 14, as stated above, is provided with the magnet 17 which is insulated against physical shock and magnetic short and is recessed by the apertured nut 22 to provide a nailhead receiving cavity aperture 24. The cavity 24 is adapted to receive and provide a 360 lateral restriction of the nailhead 25 and will position the nail 26 with the head 25 against the magnet 17 and the nail body 27 positioned in the nail guide 28 on the shank 15 of the hammerhead 11 with the nail body 27 at an angle less than with the axis of the handle 12.

The nail will thereby be held in a position substantially in the circular path of the hammerhead 11 as the hammer 10 is swung by the user. Accordingly, the inertia effect of the hammer 10 will be directed generally through and along the axis of the nail positioned thereon for most efficiently imparting the force of the hammer to the nail to drive the positioned nail more effectively. Generally known types of nail-retaining hammers cannot retain a nail in this most efficient position. Also, the structure of this invention positions the nail on the extremity of the hammer to provide a greater reaching distance for a given hammer, yet the 360 lateral restraining cavity tends to prevent centrifugal force from tending to dislodge the nail.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that certain changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. An improved hammer having a head with a handle on an axis through the depth of the head comprising a body having a fulcrum and nail-retaining means as well as a claw and a shank portion extending therefrom, said fulcrum and nail-retaining means extending generally axially away from the handle and having a socket aperture for receiving the head of a nail therein to respectively provide a fulcrum for use with said claw and to axially retain the head of the nail against movement axially away from said fulcrum, said shank portion extending in one direction from the axis of the handle, said claw portion extending in the opposite direction from the axis of the handle, and a nail guide on said shank portion positioned axially inwardly from said socket aperture to receive the body of the nail for guiding and positioning the nail.

2. An improved hammer as defined in claim 1 wherein said claw portion comprises a curved extension of said body having a radius greater than one-half the length of the handle.

fulcrum and nail-retaining means has said socket aperture formed therein adjacent said shank portion and opening only in the direction of said shank portion to receive the head portion of a nail positioned substantially along said shank portion and to surround the head of the nail in all other directions.

6. An improved hammer as defined in claim 5 wherein a magnet is provided in said fulcrum and nail-retaining means in the socket aperture and opposite the opening of the aperture. 

